Disposable vaginal diaphragm



INVENTOR. HA/QE) E4 ra/v H/i/e/e/a BY Sept. 19, 1950 H. E. HARRIS DISPOSABLE VAGINAL DIAPHRAGM Flled June 50, 1949 Patented Sept. 19, 1950 V DXSPOSABLE 2,522,822 VAGINAL DIAPHRAGM M Harry Elton Harris Denver, Colo. ,1 Application-June 30, 1949, Serial No. 192,410

2 Claims. (craze-427) This invention relates to a pessary, more particularly of the type of uterine pessary used in the treatment of pathological conditions and anatomical fiexions of the cervical portion of the uterus.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a self-retaining, non-injurious pessary which will prevent the entrance of foreign substances into the cavity of the uterus, and yet will not interfere with the normal flow of discharge from the uterus.

A further object is to provide a pessary for the correction of anatomical flexions of the cervixuteri by means of which a firm yet gentle pressure may be applied to any desired points in the cervical canal.

A further object is to provide a cervical pessary of the disposable type which can be discarded into, and flushed away in a toilet bowl without liability of damming or clogging the toilet drain pipes.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the followin description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, sagital section through the mid-section of a feminine body, illustrating the position of the improved pessary therein;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the pessary in its open or extended condition;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the improved pessary in the open position;

Fig. 4 is a similar view in the partially compressed condition it would assume in the vagina;

Fig. 5 is a side view of the pessary in the transversally compressed position; and

Fig. 6 is a cross-section therethrough, taken on the line 56, Fig. 4.

In Fig. 1 the vagina is designated at I0, the uterus at I I, the posterior fornix at I2, and pubic bone at I9.

The improved pessary is designed to be inserted in the vagina [0 until its forward extremity enters the posterior fornix l2, with its mid-portion receiving and enclosing the os uteri.

The improved pessary is formed from soft compressible, water soluble material, such as paper fiber, and consists of a pad of this soft,

2 flexible, absorbent fiber cut and pressed to form a relatively thin, peripheral binding edge l3 which acts to hold the fibrous pad together and maintain it in its predetermined shape.

The pad is formed with an open, bow-like, medial cavity 14 terminating at its forward edge in a rounded outline. The rear of the cavity is flattened transversally to form an apron. portion extending between two diagonally extending, indented channels IS. The natural resiliency of the apron portion tends to maintain it in the position of Fig. 2, holding the two indented channels in relatively wide separation.

When the two sides of the pessary are squeezed together, however, as they would be in the vagina, the apron portion bows outwardly and rearwardly to form a cup-shaped socket, as indicated at I! in Fig. 4, with the two indented grooves approaching each other, and with the two sides of the cavity 14 folded upwardly, as shown in Fig. 5.

The pessary is inserted in the vagina with the two sides compressed and rolled inward and with the apron portion [5 foremost. The insertion is continued until the foremost edge of the apron portion is inserted snugly into the posterior fornix beyond the os uteri. The device is then allowed to expand, the two indented portions forming outwardly extending flanges or ridges I8 which engage in the tissues at the sides of the vagina, with the cup-shaped socket l1 snugly enclosing the vaginal portion of the neck of the cervix. The cavity l4 folds upwardly forwardly of the neck of the cervix and into the posterior wall of the vagina, wedging as shown in Fig. 1, where it will be firmly held in place.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is: is:

1. A uterine pessary comprising: a pad of partially compressed, fibrous material; a highly compressed peripheral bead surrounding said pad and maintaining the shape thereof; a cup-like cavity formed in the forward portion of said pad; two diagonally extending, indented grooves formed in said pad and extending outwardly and rearwardly from said cavity; and a substantially triangular,

resilient apron portion closing the rear portion of said cavity between said indented grooves so that when the sides of said pessary are compressed toward each other, said apron portion will bow 3 rearwardly to form a receiving socket for receiving the vaginal neck of the uterus.

2. A uterine pessary comprising: a pad of partially compressed, fibrous material; a highly compressed peripheral bead surrounding said pad and maintaining the shape thereof; a cup-like cavity formed in the forward portion of said pad; two diagonally extending, indented grooves formed in said pad and extending outwardly and rearwardly from said cavity; a substantially triangular, resilient apron portion closing the rear portion of said cavity between said indented grooves so that when the sides of said pessary are compressed toward each other, said apron portion will bow rearvvardly to form a receiving socket for receiving 1 the vaginal neck of the uterus; and diagonally extending, outwardly projecting ridges formed on the lower surface of said pessary in consequence of the indented grooves in the upper surface 4 7 thereof for depressing and engaging the tissues at the sides of the uterine portion of the vagina.

HARRY ELTON HARRIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 435,491 Fredigke Sept. 2, 1890 2,249,316 Lay July 5, 1941 2,310,564 Younkins Feb. 9, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 0 Number Country Date 115,137 Germany Nov. 16, 1900 260,600 Great Britain Oct. 27, 1926 

